Why Does Recalculating Resistance of Resistors Yield Different Results?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the resistance of resistors made from different materials, specifically copper and aluminum. The original poster describes a scenario where they initially calculated the resistance correctly but later struggled to replicate the result due to missing values in their calculations.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the formula for resistance and the parameters involved, including resistivity, length, and cross-sectional area. The original poster attempts to backtrack their calculations but questions their accuracy due to inconsistencies in their results.

Discussion Status

Some participants suggest that the original poster may have made errors in inputting values into their calculator. There is acknowledgment of a consistent answer being reached after recalculating, but the discussion remains open regarding the initial discrepancies.

Contextual Notes

The original poster's calculations involve specific values for resistivity and dimensions of the wires, which are critical to the problem but were not consistently applied in their attempts. The discussion highlights the importance of careful value substitution in calculations.

Philip Wong
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hi guys,
I know this sound strange but it did happen. I was working on a question asking about calculating the resistance of a resistors, using different material one is copper and another is aluminium. I got the right answer, and wrote down the formula and steps that I used. But then I only didn't put in the values that I actually used. Just formula, steps and answer. Now when I come back to look at it again, I couldn't get the same answer that I originally correct. Either could I back track how I did it, so I hope someone can point it out to me, how I did it in the first place, and did I do it right then.

Homework Statement


a 20mm long piece of copper wire (sigma = 5.8*10^7 (ohm.m)^-1) with a diameter of 0.01mm is used as a resistor. you want to design a resistor with the same resistance but the only wire avaiable to you is an aluminium wire (sigma = 3.4*10^7)ohm.m)^-1) with diameter 0.02 mm. calculate the length for the piece of aluminium wire for which the two resistances are the same


Homework Equations


R = pL/A


The Attempt at a Solution


the steps that I wrote down original listed below, and I haven't put in the fitted values then, but as I tries to put in all the values in again, I didn't get a consistence result.

Rcu = pL/A
= L/ (sigma* A)
= (L/sigma) (4/ pi d^2)
=4.39ohm

Values I used to reattempt to get answer:
L = 20mm = 0.02m
sigma = 5.8*10^7
d = (0.01*10-3) ^2

Rcu = (0.02/(5.8*10^7)) * (4/ (pi*(.01*10^-3)^2



Why...?
 
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Philip Wong said:
hi guys,

Rcu = pL/A
= L/ (sigma* A)
= (L/sigma) (4/ pi d^2)
=4.39ohm

Values I used to reattempt to get answer:
L = 20mm = 0.02m
sigma = 5.8*10^7
d = (0.01*10-3) ^2

Rcu = (0.02/(5.8*10^7)) * (4/ (pi*(.01*10^-3)^2
Why...?

R = ρL/A

RCu = ρ(Cu)L1/A1 = ρ(Al)L2/A2 = R(Al)

Substitute the values and find L2
 
I think you must be plugging it into your calculator incorrectly. I just got the same answer you got originally.
 
vela said:
I think you must be plugging it into your calculator incorrectly. I just got the same answer you got originally.

ohh! indeed i have made a mistake at input my values. because I recalculated it everything, this time I've got a consistent answer.

ahaha! thanks
 

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